Jamies Dance Force

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Sarah is an eight-year-old third grader in Boardman schools. She will be turning nine on December 10! Happy early birthday Sarah!

Contemporary dance seems to be getting all the attention lately. How would you define contemporary?
Eddie: This is a touchy subject for me. “Contemporary” just means new or up-to-date so I don’t think you can really classify a style of dance as just “contemporary”. If I had to put a title on what my style of choreography is, I would say either “contemporary jazz” or “contemporary hip-hop” because I’m just doing modern-day hip-hop or jazz. I don’t really like to classify my class as anything though. A lot of people get really confused by that, but my class is sort of a blend of everything so I prefer to think of it as just movement and shaping sound rather then “Oh were going to do contemporary jazz today guys!”
Kristy: I feel like contemporary is a reflection of the changing times. I agree with Eddie in that contemporary is an adjective describing a type of dance in its present popular form. Dance has trends just like music and clothes. It is a reflection of our “trend” right now. I feel like it is a combination of hip hop and lyrical.
Jen: Believe it or not I can remember when the term “modern dance” came to be. This was a new form of dance that explored movement and interpretation rather than technique. I would define contemporary as a combination of modern mixed with ballet and lyrical technique.
Laura: Contemporary can be anything you want it to be. As long as the dancer is portraying a story, it’s contemporary to me. It’s slow but can be faster; it uses both defined and undefined lines.
Natalie: I would define contemporary dance as extremely current and in constant change. I believe it is a blend or mixture of genres into one, such as modern, post-modern, and hip-hop. It has such a profound ability to express extreme emotions/story-lines and often evokes a strong reaction emotionally in its audience.
Jamie: I think contemporary is a bit of a mix of most dance styles, i.e. ballet, modern and lyrical. The movement is a bit more “free” but is still very technical and it incorporates a lot of “trick” moves and floor work, which I love.
What do you think the role of contemporary dance is in the JDF repertoire, both competition and non-competition?
Eddie: I think “contemporary” movement plays a huge role in what the competition team is doing at all times, because in order to be competitive you have to always be doing something new and something better then you’ve done before. I’m not going to lie. In the past, I thought the non-competitive classes were somewhat dated and weren’t really bringing out too much “contemporary” movement. I’ve noticed in the past two years though that the kids are really starting to open up and explore new things. I think this is mainly a result of dance becoming so mainstream. When kids see the work that people like Travis Wall, Dee Caspary, Mia Michaels, Misha Gabriel, etc. are doing on TV, they want to replicate it or do things similar to it because that is what is cool.
Kristy: I feel that it is very important for students to keep up with the changing styles as well as know and execute the basics and core technique. I try to use both in my classrooms.
Jen: I believe just like in any other genre at JDF that we are here as teachers not only to instruct but also to educate. I believe that learning fluidity and grace as well as musical and personal interpretation is an important aspect in any dancer, competition or non-competition.
Laura: JDF does an excellent job on teaching kids how to dance contemporary at a younger age now, which is great to get them started young and getting them familiar with such a unique style such as this. It takes a lot of practice and maturity to really master this style, however.
Natalie: When I first began familiarizing myself with JDF, I attended the June 2010 recital and was very impressed by how much contemporary material was reflected in several pieces throughout the show. What an amazing program at JDF to expose the students to so much variance in choreography! I think JDF has done a very commendable job in staying current and on top of what is going on in contemporary dance today.
Jamie: I believe contemporary dance is a big part of the JDF repertoire because it is what is out there now. We pride ourselves on staying on top of all the latest dance choreography, education, and trends and currently contemporary is probably the biggesttrend at the moment.Kids seecontemporary work on shows and videos, and they want to have a chance to experience it also, so we offer all we can to both competitive and non-competitive classes. It is a must for the competition kids because those are the routines that seem to get “noticed” the most right now, so you want to be in that league with everyone else and be able to compete with the top routines. It also is important for the non-competitive classes because they should be given just as much a chance to learn the genre and experience it as well.
Describe the best contemporary piece you have ever seen.
Eddie: I was actually lucky enough to be part of the best “contemporary” piece that I have ever seen. No, it was not the best piece I have ever seen because I was in it! It was to a song called Animus Vox by The Glitch Mob. I was working with many of the kids you see dancing on TV today such as Travis Wall, Misha Gabriel, Nick Lazzarini, Teddy Forance, Al Cattafi, and many others. It was probably the best fusion of hip-hop and contemporary jazz that I have ever seen. The amount of talent that was in the piece and the amount of talent that collaborated together to choreograph it was unreal! As dancers part of our job is to make music visual, and this piece painted the song High Def!
Jen: All I have to say to this question is thank goodness for SYTYCD! We have been exposed to so many wonderful and different contemporary pieces that I don’t believe I can choose just one. If it makes me cry, it did the job.
Laura: I can’t remember just one. But of course Mia Michaels choreography on SYTYCD always stands out along with Dee Caspary’s choreography.
Natalie: One of my most favorite pieces in contemporary dance was on the last season of SYTYCD. It was choreographed by Travis Wall and titled “Fix Me”. I felt the texture of the movement and the structure of the choreography was extremely brilliant. The movement reacted so well with the music, and the transitions were seamless. It truly captured the intense struggle loved ones experience together in life. When to let go and to accept what we are faced with is not always clear when it is our will and instinct to fight for life. Through our feelings of helplessness we find courage and strength to move forward and it is built upon faith and love.
What do you think is the future for contemporary or for other innovations or trends in dance?
Eddie: I believe that the music industry sort of controls the rest of the world, and this is true in dance as well. Right now the music industry is turning into a lot more electronic, upbeat music rather then just acoustic guitars and depressing lyrics. I think when most people hear “contemporary” they think of something like Dee Caspary choreography to 9 Crimes by Damien Rice. Yes, that vision in my head is unreal but right now club music and electronic music are huge and are really starting to play a big role in the dance world. Everything comes and goes in fads, if you went to a convention 5 years ago every contemporary teacher would have been teaching to artists like Damien Rice, Joshua Radin, Ron Pope, Missy Higgins, and many other similar artists. Those artists are all amazing and I love a lot of their music but now if you go to a convention you will hear things like The Glitch Mob, Jib Kidder, Major Lazer, Usher, Justice, Kid Sister and other urban or electronic artists. Five years from now it was be something totally different from this, which is great! It keeps you always searching for the next big thing!
Jen: I believe that we will continue to evolve in dance throughout time. It is wonderful to look at the history of dance in its rawest form to what it has become. As far as the pop culture and competitive side, you will only see it become more difficult. This means more intricate as well as pushing our bodies to the limit. As long as we still enjoy doing it, I am excited to see what is to come in the future of dance.
Laura: The future for contemporary dance is bright and long. It’s not going anywhere for as long as there is music and dancers who feel it!
Natalie: I think the artists today continue to push the boundaries and limits of our minds, and I am always on the edge of my seat. I think the future of dance and what will be considered as contemporary lies with those who continue to push those boundaries creatively without fear of judgment and who can explore movement in ways we have not yet seen … and cause us to REACT!
Jamie: I think contemporary dance will always be around. I believe it will evolve in some way as dance always does, and something else will become the latest “craze”. Everything goes full circle and dance is no exception. What is the “hottest trend” today will give way to something else soon enough. Who knows? Old school jazz is making a comeback and may be the one to replace it! Being that was my era, I will fit right in!
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